Helena weather in October: Helena, Montana: normal highs, lows, rain and records for October
Helena in October has a normal high of 58°F and a normal low of 34°F, a daily mean of 46°F, falling from 66°F on the 1st to 50°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 7 days in a normal October, 0.78 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 14°C and low of 1°C, 20 mm of precipitation and 7 cm of snow in October.
- NOAA stationHelena Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00024144
- Location46.61°N 111.96°W
- Elevation3,828 ft (1,167 m)
- From the center3 miles
- Population34,729
- Jan 32° 14°
- Feb 37° 17°
- Mar 48° 25°
- Apr 57° 32°
- May 66° 42°
- Jun 75° 49°
- Jul 86° 55°
- Aug 85° 53°
- Sep 73° 45°
- Oct 58° 34°
- Nov 43° 23°
- Dec 33° 14°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Helena in October?
The normal high is 58°F and the normal low 34°F, for a daily mean of 45.5°F. October is 13.4°F cooler than September and 12.7°F warmer than November. October is the 6th warmest month of the year in Helena and the 7th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 16°F, from 66°F on October 1 to 50°F on October 31. From one year to the next October's mean temperature typically moves about 3.1°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Octobers in three average between 42°F and 49°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 22%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1 | 66°F | 40°F | 20% | 9% |
| October 8 | 62°F | 37°F | 21% | 8% |
| October 15 | 58°F | 34°F | 22% | 8% |
| October 22 | 54°F | 31°F | 22% | 7% |
| October 31 | 50°F | 28°F | 22% | 7% |
Every day of October: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon October 1, coldest night October 31)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1 | 66°F | 40°F | 20% | 9% | 11 h 50 min |
| October 2 | 65°F | 39°F | 21% | 9% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 3 | 65°F | 39°F | 21% | 9% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 4 | 64°F | 38°F | 21% | 8% | 11 h 40 min |
| October 5 | 64°F | 38°F | 21% | 8% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 6 | 63°F | 38°F | 21% | 8% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 7 | 63°F | 37°F | 21% | 8% | 11 h 30 min |
| October 8 | 62°F | 37°F | 21% | 8% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 9 | 62°F | 36°F | 21% | 8% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 10 | 61°F | 36°F | 21% | 8% | 11 h 20 min |
| October 11 | 60°F | 36°F | 21% | 8% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 12 | 60°F | 35°F | 22% | 8% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 13 | 59°F | 35°F | 22% | 8% | 11 h 10 min |
| October 14 | 59°F | 34°F | 22% | 8% | 11 h |
| October 15 | 58°F | 34°F | 22% | 8% | 11 h |
| October 16 | 58°F | 33°F | 22% | 8% | 11 h |
| October 17 | 57°F | 33°F | 22% | 8% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 18 | 56°F | 33°F | 22% | 8% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 19 | 56°F | 32°F | 22% | 8% | 10 h 50 min |
| October 20 | 55°F | 32°F | 22% | 7% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 21 | 55°F | 31°F | 22% | 7% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 22 | 54°F | 31°F | 22% | 7% | 10 h 40 min |
| October 23 | 54°F | 31°F | 22% | 7% | 10 h 30 min |
| October 24 | 53°F | 30°F | 22% | 7% | 10 h 30 min |
| October 25 | 53°F | 30°F | 22% | 7% | 10 h 30 min |
| October 26 | 52°F | 30°F | 22% | 7% | 10 h 20 min |
| October 27 | 52°F | 29°F | 22% | 7% | 10 h 20 min |
| October 28 | 51°F | 29°F | 22% | 7% | 10 h 20 min |
| October 29 | 51°F | 28°F | 22% | 7% | 10 h 20 min |
| October 30 | 50°F | 28°F | 22% | 7% | 10 h 10 min |
| October 31 | 50°F | 28°F | 22% | 7% | 10 h 10 min |
- Normal high
- 58°FOctober average
- Normal low
- 34°FOctober average
- Precipitation
- 0.78 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 70.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 2.8 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 14
- Daylight
- 11 h 50 min to 10 h 10 minOctober 1 to October 31
- Days at 70°F or more
- 5
- Days at 80°F or more
- 1
- Sunshine
- 71%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00024144; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Helena in October?
On a given October day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 22% on average, highest around October 27 (22%). In all, 0.78 in falls on 7 days of a normal October.
In a normal October in Helena, 14 nights fall to freezing, 1 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 2.8 inches.
Snow falls on 2 days in a normal October, and an inch or more covers the ground on 2 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00024144.
How humid and windy is Helena in October?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 47°F with 42% relative humidity and a dew point of 25°F; at 6 a.m. it is 32°F with 71% humidity. The wind averages 6.2 mph, most often from the west in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 32°F | 23°F | 71% | 4.7 mph | 59% |
| 9 a.m. | 35°F | 25°F | 67% | 5.0 mph | 57% |
| noon | 43°F | 25°F | 50% | 7.8 mph | 56% |
| 3 p.m. | 47°F | 25°F | 42% | 8.9 mph | 59% |
| 6 p.m. | 41°F | 26°F | 54% | 7.1 mph | 59% |
| 9 p.m. | 37°F | 25°F | 61% | 5.9 mph | 61% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00024144. Hourly normals exist only for NOAA's first-order stations; a dash where NOAA publishes no value for that hour (the sky at some hours).
What are the records for October in Helena?
The warmest October temperature on Helena's official record (since 1880) is 89°F, on October 4, 2024; the coldest is −8°F, on October 30, 1935. The wettest October brought 2.78 in (1925); the snowiest, 27.7 inches (1925).
The October mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 45.5°F: 2021 49.5°F (+4.0), 2022 49.9°F (+4.4), 2023 45.2°F (−0.3), 2024 51.7°F (+6.2), 2025 45.7°F (+0.2). 4 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| October | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 49.5°F | +4.0°F | 0.25 in |
| 2022 | 49.9°F | +4.4°F | 1.80 in |
| 2023 | 45.2°F | −0.3°F | 1.47 in |
| 2024 | 51.7°F | +6.2°F | 0.01 in |
| 2025 | 45.7°F | +0.2°F | 1.39 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record HLNthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00024144. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does October in Helena compare across Montana?
Across the 141 places PlainClimate covers in Montana, October normal highs run from 47°F in Cooke City to 64°F in Hardin; Helena's is 58°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.